El Bahtouri and Bouanani join Specialty MGA in Casablanca

Specialty MGA has added to its reinsurance operations in Africa and the Middle East with the appointment of two senior underwriters in Casablanca.

Laila El Bahtouri (pictured) becomes treaty senior underwriter. Most recently, she was executive head of domestic and African P&C treaties at Moroccan reinsurer SCR.

She previously spent more than eight years at SCOR Paris, including as pricing manager for the Middle East.

El Bahtouri said: “African markets are ready for entrants that can provide new ideas, and Specialty MGA’s combination of local knowledge with international reach and expertise means it is in a great position to fill that gap. Our flexibility means that we can find quickly solutions that meet clients’ expectations.

“The team is building an agile MGA that can respond rapidly to clients’ needs, and I’m excited to help them create new products and grow market share.”

Mohamed Bader Bouanani joins as senior underwriter for specialty lines. He has more than 15 years’ reinsurance experience, most recently as head of specialty lines at SCR.

Bouanani said: “Specialty MGA is building a very strong team in Africa and the Middle East, and I’m excited to be able to work with the group and our clients to close the region’s coverage gap in specialty insurance.

“As markets, Africa and the Middle East are increasingly dynamic and fast growing, meaning that there is plenty of opportunity for those that can transcend traditional boundaries.”

The Casablanca team was launched in 2024 by CEO Youssef Fassi Fihri, as part of MNK Group.

Fihri said: “Laila and Mohamed are excellent additions to our team in Casablanca, and these appointments will further enhance our ability to offer brokers access to outstanding underwriting professionals.

“They have significant experience not just in the Moroccan market, but in insurance markets across Africa and the Middle East, and will play an important role as we expand our presence in the region.”

MNK Group chairman Manoj Kumar added: “Youssef is building an exciting team in Casablanca, which can provide market-leading solutions that unlock capacity in emerging markets.”